The present invention relates to a low cholesterol replacement for natural eggs, and, more particularly, to a low cholesterol, preferably cholesterol free, egg replacement which can be fried in conventional sunnyside up form.
There is increasing medical evidence that the continued consumption of high levels of food products high in cholesterol and saturated fats is at least one factor which may contribute to the relatively high rate of atherosclerosis experienced in this country. Thus, food researchers are exerting great efforts to obtain food products low in saturated fats and cholesterol.
Egg products in particular have received a great deal of attention because, although they are recognized as one of the most nutritious and popular foods, they are relatively high in both saturated fats and cholesterol. In the natural egg, it is the yolk which contains the cholesterol and saturated fats. Approximately 1.7% of the egg yolk weight is cholesterol and about 1/3 of the egg yolk weight is fat. Fatty acid analysis shows that the fat content of the average egg yolk is about 35.4% saturated fat (principally palmitic and stearic acids), 49.1% monounsaturated fat (oleic acid), and 15.5% polyunsaturated fat (linoleic acid). Thus, the ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fat, hereinafter referred to as the P/S, is less than 0.5, an undesirable balance.
A number of workers have divised methods and formulations for preparing low cholesterol scrambled egg products; however, no one to my knowledge has heretofore divised a low cholesterol egg product which can be fried to provide a sunnyside up product having natural appearance and texture.